LEARNING UNIT 3:
CRIM5111:
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
LO1: Discuss European views on the nature of crime and punishment through private,
kinship, feudal, church and state control periods.
LO2: Critically comment on the use of specific punishments in pre-classical Europe or pre-
colonial African societies.
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3usxel3lK04
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhS0DKIK9fk
•http://www.medievalwarfare.info/torture.htm
PM1: A brief historical look at crime and punishment. (pp.125-126)
PM2: Pre-classical views of crime (pp.154-158) Additional research is required for this
theme.
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
- Did you know that in many parts of 1500s’ Europe, you could be put in the pillory for
fudging about the size of your bread if you were a baker, or for simply gossiping or
spreading rumours?
- Offenders of these ‘lesser crimes’ would then be publicly humiliated and possibly
fined, whipped, mutilated, or have their hair cut off, depending on what the church
or local authorities decided was fitting punishment.
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
- Transgressions have always been penalised.
- In biblical times, offenders were stoned or crucified.
- During the middle ages, political and social organisations within Europe were
intertwined with religion.
- The criminal justice system itself was based upon religious beliefs and customs.
Crime was considered personal and therefore revenge for a transgression was
required. The personal nature of the revenge however led to blood feuds and deaths
of entire families.
, Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•Alternative methods of dealing with crime emerged:
•Trial by battle and trial by ordeal
•Trial by battle: The accused and accuser would fight to the death
•Trial by ordeal: a series of various difficult and painful tests were inflicted on the accused
person. If the person died then the person was considered guilty,
•
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•Pre-colonial Southern African society involved violent punishment for crimes.
•Those found guilty of witchcraft were punished by having sharpened sticks driven up the
accused person’s rectum and the person was left to die.
•
•
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•After the arrival of the Dutch in 1652, offenders were punished with methods of torture
practiced in Europe. Until the 18th Century, methods included:
•Drowning, buried alive, beheaded, stoned and broken on a wheel
•Crucifixion commonly took place Green Point and Woodstock
•The age of reason and Enlightenment
•In Europe during the 18th Century, ideas of democracy, reason and freedom of speech
became dominant values. This brought the Classical school of Criminology.
•
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•P.154-158 PM2
•Classical Criminology provides the origin of the concept of deterrence.
•For the first time natural forces were considered as an explanation to the occurrence of
crime.. The main reason for this due to the fact that people began to consider punitive
punishments before committing a crime.
CRIM5111:
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
LO1: Discuss European views on the nature of crime and punishment through private,
kinship, feudal, church and state control periods.
LO2: Critically comment on the use of specific punishments in pre-classical Europe or pre-
colonial African societies.
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3usxel3lK04
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhS0DKIK9fk
•http://www.medievalwarfare.info/torture.htm
PM1: A brief historical look at crime and punishment. (pp.125-126)
PM2: Pre-classical views of crime (pp.154-158) Additional research is required for this
theme.
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
- Did you know that in many parts of 1500s’ Europe, you could be put in the pillory for
fudging about the size of your bread if you were a baker, or for simply gossiping or
spreading rumours?
- Offenders of these ‘lesser crimes’ would then be publicly humiliated and possibly
fined, whipped, mutilated, or have their hair cut off, depending on what the church
or local authorities decided was fitting punishment.
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
- Transgressions have always been penalised.
- In biblical times, offenders were stoned or crucified.
- During the middle ages, political and social organisations within Europe were
intertwined with religion.
- The criminal justice system itself was based upon religious beliefs and customs.
Crime was considered personal and therefore revenge for a transgression was
required. The personal nature of the revenge however led to blood feuds and deaths
of entire families.
, Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•Alternative methods of dealing with crime emerged:
•Trial by battle and trial by ordeal
•Trial by battle: The accused and accuser would fight to the death
•Trial by ordeal: a series of various difficult and painful tests were inflicted on the accused
person. If the person died then the person was considered guilty,
•
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•Pre-colonial Southern African society involved violent punishment for crimes.
•Those found guilty of witchcraft were punished by having sharpened sticks driven up the
accused person’s rectum and the person was left to die.
•
•
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•After the arrival of the Dutch in 1652, offenders were punished with methods of torture
practiced in Europe. Until the 18th Century, methods included:
•Drowning, buried alive, beheaded, stoned and broken on a wheel
•Crucifixion commonly took place Green Point and Woodstock
•The age of reason and Enlightenment
•In Europe during the 18th Century, ideas of democracy, reason and freedom of speech
became dominant values. This brought the Classical school of Criminology.
•
Theme 1: A Trip through Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
•P.154-158 PM2
•Classical Criminology provides the origin of the concept of deterrence.
•For the first time natural forces were considered as an explanation to the occurrence of
crime.. The main reason for this due to the fact that people began to consider punitive
punishments before committing a crime.
